


Heart to Heart

by magicandarchery



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-06-02 18:33:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6577801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicandarchery/pseuds/magicandarchery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec and Lydia finally catch up after their would have been wedding</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart to Heart

**Author's Note:**

> One line of dialogue was borrowed from the TMI book series.

It kept playing over and over in Lydia’s mind. Clary had even provided a warning the night before the wedding when she mentioned the Shax demon attack at Ragnor Fell’s. And yet, just as in Rio, she had been ambushed and attacked, the Mortal Cup taken. How had she let her guard down so much in such a short period of time?

The courtyard behind the Institute was a blessing. Lydia had spent the last couple of days in the infirmary as she healed from her attack wounds. Her body still ached but it was her head she was most worried about at the moment, how she couldn’t shake the thought that everything she had heard of happening after Hodge had taken the Mortal Cup was her fault.

A breeze rustled through the trees and shrubs that surrounded her and she allowed herself to close her eyes and try to think of anything else that might help her to find peace. A Shadowhunter was meant to control their emotions, their thoughts, to be rational and reasonable. Lydia desperately wanted to get back to that.

She opened her eyes and turned her head when she heard a twig snap behind her and saw Alec coming toward her. Lydia couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her mouth. Had it not been for Alec and Magnus finding her when they did … well, she wouldn’t think about that. Not today.

“I was wondering when I might see you,” she said as Alec stopped next to the bench where she was sitting.

“You’ve been asleep every time I’ve come to visit,” Alec grinned at her. He was glad to see that she was doing better. He didn’t know the full extent of her injuries but they had been serious. With how he and Magnus had found her and the surveillance camera footage, Alec suspected that she had sustained at least one broken rib. “Mind if I join you?” he gestured to the open seat on the bench next to her.

“No, sit,” she nodded and looked over at him as he sat beside her.

“How are you doing?” Alec asked, his voice soft and his hazel eyes full of concern.

“Better,” Lydia nodded. “Thank you. I owe you and Magnus. Magnus especially. Warlock healing is not cheap.”

Alec thought back to his conversation with Magnus just before they found Lydia in his father’s office, unconscious on the shattered and splintered remnants of a table. It was them that owed her and if Magnus wasn’t already planning on not assessing a fee for his services Alec would make sure that it was all taken care of for her. “Don’t worry about that,” he said as he reached over for her hand. “I … we … I mean … Magnus and I … we owe you,” he stammered, trying to find the right combination of words. He was still getting used to the idea that he had gone from ‘I’ to part of a ‘we’ in the matter of a few hours.

“It was the right thing to do,” she nodded, reiterating what she had said to Jace. “We get so caught up in tradition and family and honor but,” she paused. “I also understand having chosen love and happiness over family and tradition.”

Alec nodded slowly, looking off into the distance. The story of Lydia and John Monteverde had not ended happily and it seemed to bring to the surface the immortality conversation that he and Magnus still hadn’t finished. Yes, they had finally gone on that date Alec owed him and Magnus was right, the Ethiopian restaurant on forty fourth was fantastic, but the mortality versus immortality topic still weighed heavily on his mind.

“Alec? Everything okay?” Lydia asked after a moment, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Yeah, everything is fine.” Alec answered, snapping himself out of his thoughts and forcing a little smile. “Lydia ... how did you know? About me?” he asked, diverting the topic onto something else, even if only momentarily.

Lydia let a soft laugh escape her. “After the Forsaken attack, just the mention of Magnus sparked something in you. The tone of your voice changed, the look in your eyes was different. Even though you were trying to downplay it, it was there. The way you both look at each other reminds me of how John and I used to look at each other, even though you tried to keep everything neutral.”

She stopped for just a moment and looked up at the trees as a slight breeze picked up again. “I figured it might come out one day, but until then it was a secret that I was going to keep just as closely guarded as you tried to keep it.”

Alec looked at her. Lydia was straightforward and to the point. She could be, in her own words, abrasive. But underneath all of it, Lydia Branwell was a woman who cared just as deeply for the people in her life as Alec did for the people in his.

Before he could stop himself Alec had jumped into his hesitations and fears about Magnus’ immortality and how he had become hyper aware of his own mortality by comparison. Something told him that Lydia would understand. “It’s like, there’s no til death do us part for those who don’t die.”

Lydia raised her hand and cupped his face gently. It was clear that Alec wasn’t fearful of Magnus being immortal, but rather that he couldn’t bear the thought of being the reason for something that caused so much pain. “No, Alec. There are _too many_ til death do us parts for those who don’t die.” she spoke carefully and Alec sighed.

“That’s not helping,” he lamented.

“And yet it’s inevitable. Alec, we all lose loved ones, whether they be parents, siblings, friends, or lovers. Some are lucky to die together in battle, but it doesn’t happen that way all the time. It rarely happens that way, actually. For the most part we have an entire lifetime still ahead of us before it’s our time to go.”

Alec looked at her again. This was one subject that Lydia unfortunately had firsthand experience in. “So …”

“The pain of loss is the one thing that you cannot protect anyone else from. So let this go where it will go. Fall in love, be happy, build a life together for as long as you have with each other.” Lydia looked away from him as she finished and took a deep inhale of breath as she pressed her lips together.

Alec understood both what she had and had not said; that today was all that any of them had, and that tomorrow was never guaranteed.

“There you are,” came a familiar voice from behind them. Both Alec and Lydia turned to see Magnus striding toward them, clearly in search of where Lydia had wandered off to. Alec was captivated by the way that Magnus moved so fluidly but before he let himself get too caught up in everything he stood up, offering his hand to Lydia to help her up.

“Do you need help back in?” Alec asked.

Lydia shook her head as she took Alec’s hand and let him help her slowly to her feet. “No, I’m fine. I snuck out here by myself after all.”

Alec watched her as she walked slowly away, her physical pain still evident. Magnus had told them all it would take a bit longer for her to heal. He had been by every afternoon to help that healing progress further.

Magnus glanced back at Alec before starting after Lydia. Alec reached out and caught Magnus’ hand carefully in his own. Magnus turned again, a smile tugging at his lips as he looked up at Alec.

“Do you have plans tonight? If not, there’s a quiet little Greek restaurant on fifty second.” Alec’s eyes never left Magnus’ as he spoke.

Magnus’ hold on Alec’s hand tightened. “It’s a date.” he agreed and turned to follow after Lydia.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/blue-eyes-and-bow-and-arrows


End file.
